The arrival of the EX is a sign of summer coming to an end to most Torontonians but for us it’s always been about food and in all honesty I’d only been twice before in my 7 years in Toronto. Since we were travelling in Nova Scotia last summer we totally missed the EX but this year we made it out for opening weekend and had a fab day with a toddler in tow! There’s definitely something for everyone and while I expected to spend two hours there, we ended up spending 6 ! Here’s our tips and highlights for a day at the EX with a toddler in tow! Scroll down to win 3 adult passes, 2 kids passes and 2 all day ride passes!
Disclaimer : I received the adult passes as a media package, won the all day ride passes from the fabulous Heartless Girl blog and received the kids passes for free during a visit to the circus!
Getting there
Yes it’s a pain but taking the TTC really is your best bet. There’s express busses in place from King, St. Andrew and Dundas W subway stations and what we liked was that it drops you off right by the food building and the kiddie section! It is a bit of a mess with quite a few strollers on the bus, but you grit your way through because driving would be worse. A cab would be fairly pricey given the traffic that we hit on the Saturday and besides the cabby would drop you off by the main entrance near the outlet shopping and at the opposite end to the food and kiddy section (that’s a problem right?).
Tips with a toddler
Bring your stroller, we took our cheapo umbrella one and survived the entire day. Plenty of space for the big UPPA and would be great if you’re planning to shop a lot but it would have been a nightmare on the TTC bus. I went stocked with snacks, juice and milk for her. It’s still hot out there so ensure the little one is hydrated, sunscreened and in the shade whenever possible. She didn’t touch her snacks as she was into the fair food – who can blame her? We did sneak in a nap later in the day, the shade by the food building was perfect as was timing – I had the Cronut all to myself!! Plenty of water fountains all throughout the CNE so refill those water bottles. Change tables in every bathroom, though I’d recommend avoiding the food building one and anything right after a show – they can be busy with long line ups. We hit up the bathroom in the farm section and it was empty, fairly clean and hassle free. Trick is to find the less busier bathrooms since all of them have a change pad. That said there are dedicated baby care rooms sprinkled around, though we didn’t hit any up. Click here for a dedicated family guide.
Highlights
Atmosphere – You’re going in to soak the carnival atmosphere, plenty of rides and games for all ages and all fancies. If anyone would like to win us a huge smurf, that would be fantastic!!! The CNE is so huge that rarely do you ever get stuck in foot traffic – always an even flow even in the busy midway and outlet shopping pavilion. Plenty of benches and massage seats to rest your tushies on – so take a break if it gets too much!
Food – Okay you know all the food highlights by now and no matter what the review, you’re going to check it out for yourself. DO IT! There’s the usual boring options out there that are delicious (here’s looking at you Mediterranean and Indian cuisine!) but you’re at the EX!!!! Go for the heart attack inducing options, bring a friend along to share the costs and sample more. Everything pictured below is worth a try for the reason listed. Don’t forget to stop by the craft beer and wine section for good tunes, beer and air conditioned seating!
Shows – We caught the TicToc show and it was entertaining enough- don’t expect Cirque style performances though! The Little Monkey was well entertained for the half an hour, though she was standing on the seat for the most part. Stroller parking is limited so get there early or if you have an umbrella stroller you can fold it and take it up to the seats with you. We got there five minutes before the show and barely got a seat. The My Little Pony and Dog Show also looked entertaining but we didn’t make those.
The Farm – We’ve been hitting up quite a few farms and the Little Monkey seems still engaged. Plenty of animals to see and there’s an interactive setup for picking up eggs, planting seeds and grabbing wool – giving up the bucket at the end may cause a hissyfit! Lots of educational posters and play areas for little ones of all ages. Plus it’s indoors.
Rides – There’s a dedicated section for the younger tots which means our little ones can also participate in the thrills and frills. Mind you the rides can get expensive as most require 4 tokens ($5 for 4 tokens). If your toddler is around the 22 month mark there’s a handful they can go on as they’re still a bit too young to ride alone. Two and up and all 30 rides will be suitable I reckon (3′ and above to ride alone).
Get out there and have a fabulous fun filled day ! Give yourself a budget since things can get expensive!
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Nell C.
August 21, 2013 at 3:01 pmGlad you at least got to enjoy the Cronut! Wonder where we’ll find it now?
Yashy
August 22, 2013 at 3:47 pmThe original cronut (not the burger) hails from NYC so maybe a visit there 😉
Richard B
August 21, 2013 at 8:26 pmWe are HUGE fans of the CNE. We go every year, no matter what. I can’t remember a summer since I was a little child when I didn’t go. Nice post!